SCHNEIDER Family History

The German surname Schneider, which occurs across the German speaking world, means ?tailor? and comes from Middle High German 'snider' or 'cutter'. The verb ?schneiden? means ?to cut?.

Variants include Schneiders, Schneyder, Schnider/Schnyder (Swiss), Schnider &c. Znaider is a Polish version, and Sznajder Czech/Slovakian etc. The surname is also Ashkenazy Jewish and common throughout central and eastern Europe.

The German name is found in large numbers in Hannover, Hamburg, Berlin, around Köln, Frankfurt-am-Main, Freiburg &c, and in fact over all of Germany, with fewer numbers in Meclenburg-Vorpommern

It is the third most frequent surname in Germany, and, like the others in the top ten, falls into the ?occupational? category.

The name was brought to the U.S.A. by migrants from Germany in the late 18th and 19th centuries. Early arrivals came to New York and Pennsylvania. New York, Ohio and Illinois had the highest percentage of Schneiders (U.S. Federal Census of 1920) i.e NY21% and 10% each for the last two states.

According to U. S. Social Security data there are 100, 553 bearers of the surname Schneider in the U.S.A. and it ranks at number 272.

Two Famous Schneiders

Johann Rudolf Schneider (1750-1822) Swiss Doctor of medicine, radical campaigner and liberal politician. He initiated the sanitization of water, known as the 'Jura Water Correction' project. He also campaigned for the rights of immigrants in the cantons which became Switzerland; he was also a prime political mover of the act which brought national status of Switzerland aboutin 1847.

Bert Schneider (1897-1986) born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a welterweight boxer who boxed for Canada in the 1920 Summer Olympics, and won the gold medal. He boxed professionally in the early 20s.